Closure cap for conduits



March 7, 1961 w. G. ROWELL CLOSURE CAP FOR GONDUI'TS Filed June 5, 1959 FIG.5

INVENTOR. BY MW/m 6. Raw flax}, W )M ATTORNEYS United States Patent CLOSURE CAP FOR CONDUITS Filed JuneS, 1959, Ser. No. 818,396 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-39) This invention relates to removable screw threaded caps used in closing the ends of pipes. The invention finds its principal use in the liquid fuel industry in which the fill pipes leading to tanks for fuel 'oil or gasoline or the like are closed after filling by means of a screw threaded cap. In connection with the delivery of combustible fuels to tanks, particularly to undergroundtanks, the fill pipe dimensions have become generally standardized. Two-inch pipes and three-inch pipes, are those in most common use, although insoirie instances the pipes may be larger'or smaller. 'Theeaps'used'in' closing the pipes are similarly named, that is, a two-inch .cap or athreeinch p V When a tank truck driver arrives at a location at which heis q a e i el del yery. thes trea e t0 h fil r p will in most cases be located in a metallic receptacle known as a fill box which is located at ground level flush with the sidewalk, driveway or other suitable area. The fill box has a hinged or removable cover which may be raised exposing the closure cap on the end of the fill pipe. The truck driver, not being able to see the closure cap when he leaves his truck because it is hidden within the fill box, has no way of knowing whether the cap is on a two-inch or a three-inch pipe. Heretofore, according to the practice that has sprung up in the trade, the two-inch caps have required the use of a special wrench and the three-inch caps have required the use of a somewhat larger special wrench. Thus in the prior practice the wrench that fits the two-inch cap will not fit the threeinch cap, whereas the wrench that fits the three-inch cap will not fit the two-inch cap. It has been necessary,

therefore, if the driver is to economize on time, that two wrenches be carried to the fill box, one a wrench for the two-inch size and the other a wrench for the three-inch size, so that the driver will be in a position to cope with either situation. This practice has made it necessary for the liquid fuel delivery companies to provide a double inventory of wrenches.

The object of the present invention is to provide a screw threaded cap suitable for closing the end of a three-inch pipe which is so constructed on its exterior as to be capable of being turned by either of the wrenches heretofore designed for use with two and three-inch caps. That is to say, when a three-inch cap of the present invention is used, the driver may carry with him a single wrench which may be either the wrench for the two-inch cap of the prior art or the three-inch cap of the prior art. Either wrench will fit the cap of the present invention, and as a result the inventory of wrenches required by the fuel delivery organizations may be cut in half.

Another object is to provide a cap that may be die cast, strong enough to support the loads imposed but with relatively thin walls to minimize the material requirements.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a so-called three-inch cap adapted to receive either a two-inch or a wrench.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. 3. p p r I Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing in addi tion a horizontal sectional view of a wrench for a twoinch cap in position thereon taken approximately along the line 5-5 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1 but showing in addition a horizontal sectional view of a wrench for a three-inch cap in position thereon taken approximately on the line 6-6 of'Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the bottom portion of a wrench for a two-inch cap. a Y Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bottom portion of a wrench for a three-inch cap.

Referring now to the several figures, the so-called threeinch cap is shown in plan view in Fig. 1, in side eleva-. tion in Fig. 2 and in bottom plan view in Fig.3. The

. cap, as previously noted, is called a three-inch cap because it is designed to close the end of a three-inch fill pipe. The cap comprises a short cylindrical body 2 on' the upper end of which is a horizontal annular flange 4 within which is a depressed central area forming a trans= verse closure portion .6, all of which is substantially in the. same plane; Arising from the area 6'is a central diamond shaped proj'ection17 which. tapersslightly from its base upwardly. This taper may be more clearly noted in Fig. 4 in which the projection 7 is in section and inverted.

Spaced around the diamond shaped projection 7 are four vertically extending identical lugs 8, 10, 12 and 14. These lugs are integral with the closure portion 6 and are each spaced radially a substantial distance from the respective faces of the projection 6. The inner faces of the lugs are substantially parallel to the corresponding faces of the projection 7. If the inner faces were extended so as to intersect, they would form a pattern similar to the pattern of the projection 7. The size of the projection 7 and the spacing of the lugs 8, 1-0, 12

and 14 are carefully arranged for reasons that will shortly be explained.

The lugs are strongly made and are tapered upwardly on their outer sides in order to facilitate removal from the dies in which the caps are cast.

The cap has a thread 16 of coarse pitch which extends about the cylindrical body 2. The cap is braced and strengthened by the introduction of a plurality of radially extending ribs 20 which are integral with the under side of area 6 and the wall 2.

As can be seen in Fig. 4, the diamond shaped projection 7 is hollow, but is strong enough to withstand the load that may be applied thereto by the wrenches.

Reference is now made to Figs. 7 and 8 which disclose the operative ends of the two wrenches that are now in common use for removing prior art caps. Fig. 7 has a shank 22 which terminates in a diamond shaped socket element 24 which is designed to cooperate with a corresponding diamond shaped projection commonly found in caps of the prior art used to close two-inch pipes. Fig. 8 shows a wrench similar to Fig. 7 having a shank 26 and a diamond shaped socket 28, larger, however, than socket 24. The larger socket 28 is of such size as to be able to receive therein a substantially larger diamond shaped projection of the type commonly found on the so-called three-inch caps of the prior art.

Socket 24 has internal dimensions which enable it to I 2,973,880.8 Patented Mar. 7, 1f9 61 1 three-inch A horizontal section. Thus it a fuel delivery truck operator should happen to have with him only his so-called twoinch wrench (such wrench being like that of Fig. 7), nevertheless it may be used to remove a three-inch cap made according to the construction of the present invention because projection 7 has been madesmall enough to be received by the two-inch socket 24.

Fig. 8 discloses a wrench designed to turn a socalled three-inch cap of the prior art. In this case the socket 28, being considerably larger than socket 24, will not cooperate properly with a projection, as small as projection 7. Therefore in order to enable the so-calledlthreeinch wrench of Fig. 8 to unscrew the cap of the present invention, the lugs 8, 10, 12 and 14 have been incorporated in the structure at the particular'positions noted so that the three-inch wrench of Fig. 8 may be engaged on its outer four sides by the lugs 8, 10, 12 and 14 without engagement with projection 7. This is shown in Fig. 6, and this figure also shows clearly why the socket 28 could not efiectively cooperate with projection 7 with the lugs omitted. That is to say, if the lugs were not present, socket 28 would not be effective with projection 7.

In summary, it will be seen that I have provided a cap for a three-inch fill pipe so designed that either of the two wrenches now in common use with the two .and three-inch fill pipes may be used therewith. When the wrench of Fig. 7 is used, it will function in the manner shown in Fig. 5. When the wrench of Fig. 8 is used, it will function in the manner of Fig. 6.

It is my intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

A cap for closing the end of a pipe, said cap comprising a short cylindrical portion having a coarse thread thereabout, a laterally extendingfiange at the outer end of said cylindrical portion, a transverse closure portion located below said flange and intermediate the length of said cylindrical portion, an upwardly extending centrally located diamond shaped projection having fiat slightly tapering sides and adapted to receive thereover a socket wrench having its internal walls of similar configuration, four upwardly extending. lugs integral with said closure portion and located intermediate said projection and the cylindrical portion of said cap, the inner sides of said lugs if extended parallel to said closure portion and intersecting each other and forming a diamond pattern similar to the pattern of said projection, the inner sides of said lugs adapted to make cooperative engagement with the exterior of a wrench similar to but larger than the wrench adapted to cooperate with said projection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,424,559 Dodds Aug. 1, 1922 2,050,942 Francis Aug. 11, 1936 2,483,964 Bennett Oct. 4, 1949 2,498,345 Risk Feb. 21, 1950 2,774,507 Hurley Dec. 18, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 37,516 Netherlands Feb. 15, 1936 

